It’s About the Little Things
Student films often lean into the roughness of their shoots for a measure of validity regarding their realness, and this is perhaps no different. What is different here, however, at least for me, is just how well it works for once. The silent spaces serve a purpose beyond adding an art house flair—they are what form the outline of the story itself. The dialogue is naturalistic without being self-aggrandizingly so. Every emotion on Jieun’s face goes straight for the viewer’s jugular. Watch it!Was this review helpful to you?
What You Think You Want…
I really like how this short plays with limiting our information. It begins without context you get in the synopsis on here. The cinematography intentionally limits your view, playing with POV shots (appropriate given the theme) or framing that only lets you see what is going on from behind and underneath a chair.The ending is beautiful and full of just desserts.
I really like how it put a mini spotlight on how your perception of someone impacts sexual attraction to them. In a lot of ways this short isn’t about a guy who wants to film a scene with this OF star. It’s about a guy who wants to live out a fantasy that lives in his head and, in the end, that doesn’t really line up with what he got himself into.
note: rewatch value is low bc I almost never rewatch anything so that’s sort of high for me
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Perfect Days
This movie made me incredibly lonely and scared of growing old. I only hope I can see the small beauties in life the way this character does. I've not much to say but it was an incredibly beautiful and moving film.Great soundtrack. Wonderful scenes. In a way it's inspirational to see the pride Hirayama takes in his job cleaning toilets and the way he gets joy and contentment from the seemingly mundane things in life. He has his passions in music, books and photography and being a genuine and loving uncle. I wish to be like him if my life is still this way as I grow old.
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NO This ain't that boring a movie
Well I was never quite in this genre. I have always been on the soft genre side. So people watching this might be a hardcore horror and thriller lover, so it can seem not so interesting for them. But it has enough potential to make you think about life twice. The scary scenes were not too wild but quite decently creepy. And the storyline.. It has a great depth for the viewers to imagine how they would comprehend the not so detailed plot. Many people are complaining why Ae ran's character was involved. I felt it was important to show the character interface of Cheong Seok.Also the plot keeps you engaged and once you miss a spot, you feel missed out and thats when you start that the movie isnt interesting enough. So better to keep keen look at the movie while watching it. And you'll definitely enjoy it..
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Everything is perceived in a relative manner !
I stumbled across a feed post that said subs out, saw LDW and here we are !This movie does not know where it stands and it has no say of it own it's just trying to be everything we see in the western films which go out and portray lives of single people as lonely and give out a message that there are people that surround you even in the dark or like the ones where they tell you to value people and one of the main character sets an eg themselves !
- the false hope kinda movies where after everything the boy falls for a girl - a sudden twist like a lie or anything to draw them apart and they suddenly mature and get together by the end - TYPICAL HALLMARK MOVIES! And no denial they have an audience of their own and people love them because they are done right.
but am I the crowd , NO! so apparently I should have bothered doing some research instead of jumping, which I usually do but I did not IDK why lord nvm that ...also I rarely watch kmovies so I am not sure what they do there generally but I just wish it had a few brainers bec for me the movie was too dumb!
The fl looked dishevelled, like wtf they did with her hair and clothes - no sorry that's not how editors generally look - she lacks the basic confidence - okay she is good at her job and what else - no personality ??? - just being dumb and drunk that's her thing.
yk when she actually takes a stand for her self by that time I rarely cared. she could be bad at love and taking hints but that's not how she is shown. instead the figure that comes to life for viewers is like she's a lost cause and has nothing of her own so poigant !
the ml was supposed to enjoy single life - like he doesn't seem to be doing so - he look's pathetically alone with no people no friends and more like he's a social star right - does he even look like he's enjoying posting ? he's not happy and please don't portray that single people can't be happy they can be and fuck can they are happy ! it's a choice ! - like in short he's just being pathetic !
the side characters -- omg they all have no personality - like i get that it's general for nerds to read books and be in the business but nerds can dress up and have a fucking personality - i am a book reader myself and I sure don't look like that, sorry bitches get things straight before you work on another project like that !
The only thing I liked about it was the message that everything is relative and what people remember is based on how they feel at present and it can't be the reality of it all ! - it's subjective !
all in all if you are trying to copy HALLMARK - better do a good job next time or I am literally skipping kmovies !
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This review may contain spoilers
The Martian and Apollo 13 Meets Murphy's Law
Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of DO Kyungsoo and I was eagerly waiting to watch this.I've watched a lot of the space and sci-fi genre and if anyone has ever watched The Martian, Apollo 13, Armageddon, The Core, Lost In Space, etc, you will find that The Moon is very similar to all these films/series. It's already difficult to make a space movie taken in the "present" time and not have some similarities found in other films and TV series and that's to be expected.
And of course, just like Murphy's Law, everything that could go wrong went wrong. So much sh*t hits the fan that it becomes hard to believe that he even survives. I think in retrospect, they went a bit overboard with all the unlucky accidents and failures.
Another thing that stood out like a sore thumb was whenever they showed the "NASA" HQ, you felt like you were watching a pep rally where everyone attended the "University of NASA" because mostly everyone working there was wearing NASA hoodies. As if they wanted to make sure the audience knew it was NASA. We got it... the hoodies and jackets told us so. Honestly, they could've just worn regular, normal clothes and we would've still believed it was NASA. But it was pretty obvious that NASA's merchandise branding was everywhere. It was even less convincing when the head FL at the NASA HQ, couldn't speak fluently English. It would've been better if her English was a bit more proficient or at least dubbed. This is NASA after all.
There were other parts I wasn't particularly fond of... apparently no one at the KASC, the Korean space HQ, could make a quick decision or a solution every time a problem arose because there was only that ONE guy from the outside who was the only one capable and there was that one other dude who just f*cked everything up and the Minister who was so incompetent at his job too. It also seemed odd in the beginning that it felt like the other astronauts didn't seem to like the ML. It just didn't fit in with the storyline.
All in all, it was an interesting watch but it just didn't feel very original. I did, however, feel emotionally invested in Maru, the drone. I thought DO Kyunsoo did a good job as usual but I'll be honest and say that I felt he looked too young for the role. I think a more mature-looking and older actor would've been more convincing especially since DO's character was a Navy Seal. Someone like Park Seo Joon or even Gong Yoo, (if he hadn't already been in Silent Sea), would've been more suitable.
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Amazingly Better Than the First
After watching the first one; I didn't want to watch this one because that one was a mess. I like Jason Statham so decided why not; I'm bored. I'll give a whirl. Other reason I didn't want to watch it was because though I'm a scuba diver, I have a phobia of octopi and knowing essentially I'd be looking at the kraken with huge tentacles gave me the jeebs. Thankfully, that part of the show was towards the end and minimal. But though things were messy and far from perfect (antagonists were subpar at best but thankfully most were eaten fairly quickly); the comedy and bantering between the characters was amusing even in dire strait situations. It's not a film for everyone but if you want to just relax with some popcorn and have a chill evening, go for it. It is actually amazingly better than the first. That said, I hope they don't make a 3rd lol.Was this review helpful to you?
It was good, but...
So, I just randomly stumbled upon this, the poster and the title seemed interesting, so I watched it.The story was good and the way it was written. Despite being a short film, It's slow, and it takes time to show you things, but there's just something about it that didn't grab me. Nonetheless, I appreciated my time with it. It feels like I was dropped in the middle of a story, I'm watching and it feels like I'm missing something.
The writing is very subtle, If you pay enough attention you'll understand what's going on, but for me, I had to watch it twice because I was lost as to why are they suddenly fighting, like what the heck even happened? I blinked and their relationship suddenly started cracking, but I had a good grasp as to what the reason might be based on the way one of them is acting and the things that are happening around the couple.
In terms of the characters, there wasn't really much that was told, it seemed lacking to me, so I couldn't really get invested with them, but I was still interested. Like I said, the writing is very subtle, so you have to really get into the minds of the characters, or you'll get lost. And that's not to say that there will be no acting because of the subtleties. No, I'm not saying that. The actresses did a great job on their parts.
I was expecting a kissing scene when a particular scene came because the mood is set, the setting, and the characters are very close with each other, but nope. So, if you're expecting one, don't bother.
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Different Story from Manga but awful Lead
As usual, Live Action has a different story, but this different storyline is not that crisp. Tatsuya's actor was atrocious in the beginning! I don't know if it's a Japanese thing to act like that, but they were awful. It's funny in manga and anime, but those expressions won't fit well with real-life actors. The Gang members were also styled in uniforms, which Kilihito doesn't have in the manga, but they added them for some reason.The good part was that they added more screen time for Uncle and Aunty, they're quite wholesome. Also, Kazumasa Big Bro was cast perfectly. That guy nailed the role at 99% and minus 1 percent for sass. The extra fighting didn't make much sense as they were not logically thinking, I think Out manga is way better, and the characters actually behaved in more rational manner rather than 6 guys taking on 50 guys, which is atrocious.
I think the movie is solid 7, with some good scenes, but as a manga reader, you'll be disappointed.
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Short and sweet
A short and sweet love story, with a little bit of horror, tragedy, and forgiveness. I was impressed by the ghost—I wasn't expecting the 'horror' to be scary, but the ghost successfully creeped me out, which I loved. This is a perfect show for when you're short on time, and want a brilliantly performed bit of everything. I would love to see it extended into a series.Was this review helpful to you?
Slightly disappointed expectations but an enjoyable watch
I watched this for Karry Wang. The trailer looked good, but the movie itself was... not quite what the trailer made me expect?The plot is pretty straightforward and easy to follow, the acting or rather, perhaps characters/characterization, left me skeptical and baffled at times. This is a decent, enjoyable watch (and if you find yourself disliking/hating it, have fun hate-watching it!) but I had the hardest time with the cinematography. I do not understand the style of cutting some scenes in this particular way, it adds effect, sure, but it confused me in a few places because I wasn't sure if anything was a flashback. Also not a fan of using a fish/wide lens towards the end because it removed me from the immediacy? *shrug*
tl;dr, not the quality/depth I was expecting but an interesting premise with a decent execution. If you're also here for Karry Wang and got 1hr 53mn to spare... why not
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"Not yet!"
At 83, director Kurosawa Akira showed his creative drive was still going strong. However, he didn’t get his wish to die on set behind the camera on this his final film. What he did, was give us a film with a main lead who in many ways stood in for him and his desires and contemplative messages. The film might have been loosely based on Uchida Hyakken’s novel but it felt like watching Kurosawa take his final bow.In 1943 Professor Uchida greets his class and tells them that he is resigning in order to write full-time. His students are devoted to him and tell him they will continue to follow him. They help the professor when he and his wife move into a larger home which later ends up catching fire in an air raid. The couple is relegated to a small shack with a few meager possessions afterwards. The students begin work on a plan to have a better home built for the professor. To boost the professor’s morale when he regrets living the life of a beggar, they hold a birthday party for him called the Not Yet Feast on his 61st birthday. The play on words comes from the game hide and seek when children would yell, “are you ready?” and the response would often be “not yet!” or madadayo. Though provisions were few, the students and professor had a raucous time at the celebration. “Are you ready to die?” “Not yet!”
“Did that just go over their heads?”
Kurosawa’s work came across as uncharacteristically hopeful in this film. The professor was described as pure gold. Eccentric, imaginative, and a prankster, the students loved him. The students were unequivocally kind and devoted to him. Whereas most Kurosawa leads had to face grueling trials in order to have character development, the Professor came fully and nearly perfectly formed. The pessimistic and deeply flawed people were missing as well as the tumultuous inner struggles. Even the students whose names were barely mentioned were deeply kind and loyal. Unlike earlier films with biting social commentary, the historical events in Madadayo were a thin construct that had minimal impact on the characters. The hardships were briefly alluded to and overcome, unlike Kurosawa’s usual criticisms surrounding the war and post war struggles. It was if Kurosawa said, “I’ve already covered that.”
“Congratulations should be short. Eulogies should be long.”
In each of his dwellings, the Professor sat in his doorway and wrote. There were no battles or betrayals, the most tragic event in the film was when a cat went missing. This film focused on the Professor’s interior musings and the interiors of his homes and the banquet halls where the Not Yet Feasts were held. Despite his insistence on an almost hermit-like existence with signs that ranged from “The temple where guests are forbidden” to roughly translated, “Whaddya want?” the Professor was nearly always surrounded by adoring students. When the Professor needed a house, the students made it happen. When the Professor’s cat went missing, they beat the bushes to find the friendly feline. In most Kurosawa films, everyone needed to watch their backs. In Madadayo, it was the nice being nice to the nice, injected with gentle humor and wisdom.
“The flowing river never stops and the water is never the same as before. The bubbles that float in the pools, now vanishing, now forming are not of long duration.”
After I recovered from the shock of realizing that everyone in the film was affectionate and generous to each other, I settled in and enjoyed the story. Kurosawa’s film style veered closer to Ozu’s than his own. Few scenes had his three deep perspective with action going on in the foreground, middle, and background. People were often sitting in a circle on the floor talking. There was a beautifully shot seasonal montage with the small shack going through fall, winter, and spring. The characters could have used improvement. The students’ personalities were never developed and the background wife never received a name. The cat even had a name, but not the wife! No mention was made of what the German language professor wrote that was so popular.
“That will be your calling, the work you put your heart into.”
What Madadayo did give us was different generations respecting and caring for each other. Kurosawa and Uchida were both facing death unflinchingly. This was not the time for fighting, but a time of introspection and peace while also contemplating the legacy of their work. The Professor encouraged the grandchildren of his students to find their treasure and to work hard for it, much as Kurosawa had.
Despite the utter lack of conflict, I enjoyed Madadayo. Every once in a while, I need a film that envelopes me in warmth and laughter. Perhaps that’s what Kurosawa needed as well. I was pleased when I saw Kurosawa’s red glow in the last scene and beautiful, tranquil clouds appeared. Then my eyes welled with tears when I realized it would be the last time for those trademark elements. If someone had asked Kurosawa if he was ready to stop creating or studying film, I think his answer would have been, “Not yet!”
26 February 2024
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The struggle of LBGTQ+ people and the representation of stereotypes in Thai cinema (II)
'The Iron Ladies 2' ('Satree Lek 2') is the sequel to the surprising success of a gay volleyball team, having problems with their success and fame, and the way they reunite after breaking up, due to creative differences. .Youngyooth Thongkonthun repeats as director, but in the script Sayombhu Mukdeeprom joins Jira Maligool, to take up the story while the members of the volleyball team made up of homosexuals, kathoey (transsexual people) and a cisgender, meet to participate in another tournament.
when the royal team competed and won the national championship in Thailand. The two main characters, Mon and Jung, play two gay transgender women, who are constantly overlooked by volleyball coaches because of their appearance.
However, when Bee takes the reins of a local team after changing coaches, the call is issued to try out for a new team. When Mon and Jung are selected, most of the former players quit, leaving the coach in a difficult situation.
Mon and Jung are then forced to enlist the help of other gay and transgender friends they used to play volleyball with in college. These new players include Wit, who has not told his fiancée that he is gay, Pia, a transgender dancer, and Nong, a gay army recruit. When the competition begins, all but one of the players on the team are gay or transgender.
Due to their appearance on the pitch, many of the match officials intend to exclude the team, soon dubbed "The Iron Ladies", from the tournament. However, seeing the popularity of the team among the crowd will soon change their minds.
In the film's closing credits, the real "The Iron Ladies" are shown as they were at the time of the film's making.
The cast includes Sujira Arunpipat, Kokkorn Benjathikoon, Anucha Chatkaew, Surapun Chawpaknam, Shiriohana Hongsopon, Hathairat Jaroenchaichana, Giorgio Maiocchi, Peter Maiocchi, Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Phomsit Sitthijamroenkhun, Sutthipong Sitthijamroenkhun, Sahaphap Tor , Aphichart Vongkavee.
Note: The review of the original film of 'The Iron Ladies' 2000 can be found, in MDL, on the page dedicated to this film on said platform.
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The struggle of LBGTQ+ people and the representation of stereotypes in Thai cinema (I)
'The Iron Ladies' ('Satree lek' - 2000) is a comedy-drama film written by Visuttchai Boonyakarnjawa and Jira Maligool.Based on the true story of a Thai men's volleyball team competing in the 1996 national championship with a squad made up primarily of gays and kathoey (transgender people), the award-winning film explores the struggles that are still present in the Thai LGBTQ+ community through through comedy, despite Thailand's international image as a country open to gay and transgender people.
In the greatest of storytelling traditions, Youngyooth Thongkonthun's debut feature is a true fairy tale with a happy ending, and marked a milestone in LGBTQ+ representation in the media, resonating recognition from international film festivals like the Festival Toronto Film International and several others.
Set in 1996, two gay amateur volleyball players, Chai (Jesdaporn Pholdee) and Mon (Sahaphap Tor) seek to participate in a championship despite being discriminated against.
Mon, who becomes the leader of the team, was a very talented player who constantly failed to be selected for various teams because he was gay. Chai, Mon's best friend, also experienced the same treatment but was always optimistic about things.
Their chance comes when Coach Bee is selected to form a winning team and she announces that the team will be open for everyone to try out. But when he selects Chai and Mon to be part of the team, some of the homophobic players quit in protest.
Bee then asks Mon to find some of his friends to join the team. They select Nong, a gay army sergeant; Pia, the transsexual star of a cabaret show; and Wit, whose parents don't know that their only son is gay.
Written by Strand Releasing. 'The Iron Ladies stars Jesdaporn Pholdee, Sahaphap Tor, Ekachai Buranapanit, Giorgio Maiocchi, Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi, Kokkorn Benjathikoon and Anucha Chatkaew.
Cinematography was handled by Jira Maligool and editing by Sunij Asavinikul.
Most of them are gay and kathoey, except for one cishet (cisgender and straight) man who struggles to be accepted into the team. All of them must find their inner strengths and come together to face these challenges and participate in the national championship.
Through humor, Thongkonthun touches on sensitive topics that would otherwise have been difficult to cover at the end of the last century and the beginning of this one. It was then the era of depicting homosexuals and transgenders in the media under the old-fashioned cliché of the comic friend or villain, which even today persists on Thai television, but The Iron Ladies reveals the depth of these generally superficial characters.
Based on stereotypical representations of homosexuals (very flamboyant, feminine, happy, fearless), the film uses clichés that were common in the 2000s and are still prevalent today, and takes the stereotypes, gives them depth and appropriates them.
The film stands out for reflecting the struggle of LBGTQ+ people: while the team faces various challenges, each member of the team represents, through their own story, a societal problem that the community faces.
The cast does not fail to make their characters relatable and real within their banal and limited representation, as they mimic the tropes surrounding the representation of LGBTQ+ people in the early 2000s.
Through silly or quick comments, the film's dialogue skillfully addresses the struggles and hurtful comments prevalent in society towards LGBTQ+ people. Through absurd but witty scenes, the characters reflect and talk about love interests, being loved as a transgender person, buying items at a market, making friends, participating in sports, and being discriminated against. All this wrapped in a background of comedy and extravagant shots with vibrant electro music.
'The Iron Ladies' manages to generate controversy and reflection among (inter)national audiences about the representation and behavior towards the LGBTQ+ community.
However, the film is a predictable and over-the-top cliché in every way. Is it worth our attention? Absolutely yes, as it is a piece of history and contextualizing it will give you another view of the stereotypical image of Thailand. However, be aware of the large amount of hyper-shouting.
Note: The review of the sequel to 'The Iron Ladies' 2003 can be found, in MDL, on the page dedicated to this film on said platform.
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This review may contain spoilers
I swear they turned Sarah into Jesus....
I first came to know about this film around 2016/17 when I first read the novel "A Little Princess." Like other classics ("Pride and Prejudice," "Wuthering Heights," "Anne of Green Gables," etc.), I like watching all the different adaptations to see how the story can be interpreted differently. For "A Little Princess," I watched the 1917 silent film, the 1939 Shirley Temple movie, the 1985 anime, the 1986 British miniseries (the most faithful), the 1995 American film (my personal favorite), and the J-drama "Shokojo Seira" (interesting and I would recommend it). Yes, there's a lot. The Filipino version alluded me. I was unable to find anywhere, let alone with subtitles. Well, I finally found it but....Unfortunately, I feel like I set up this movie to fail. I had built it up in my mind over the last several years. I believe I would've had the same complaints, but it feels like I was let down personally... Anyway, with that out of the way, let's get on to the issues.
The movie is set in 1890 England with the school being a castle in the countryside instead of a modest home on the streets of London. It being a Filipino movie, this seems strange at first but you get used to it quickly. The first forty minutes is dedicated to Sarah's school life, which I feel takes too long and focuses too much on her schoolmates. Besides Sarah, the other child actors aren't very good and it's sometimes painful to watch. The movie picks up slightly with Sarah's fall from grace, but soon becomes crazy with the last twenty or so minutes.
My main issue with the movie is Miss Minchin. Not the acting, but the writing. She has no proper motivations for hating Sarah at all, which would be fine if she doesn't have a "redemption" at the end. I mean redemption very loosely because all she does is thank Sarah for not sending her to jail... And this is what I mean by them turning Sarah into Jesus. The movie has a distinct religious undertone. I believe Filipinos are very heavily Catholic so this makes sense. However, the religion becomes a problem at the end of the film. Sarah grants forgiveness to those who wronged her without anyone receiving punishment. It's fine to teach children to forgive like Jesus, but that should come hand-in-hand with justice (if possible).
The movie makes several other changes to the source material. It takes inspiration from the anime (which was very popular in the Philippines). If you've seen the anime, you'll be able to spot the references in the movie. These changes and other small cultural changes didn't bother me as adaptations need changes. To conclude, I mostly enjoyed this movie until the end. The ending just annoyed me too much!
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